Making clothes at home - For Meteor

[tabby]

This is a bit off-topic, but recently I've been interested in making my own clothes, as well as clothes for my partner. We're both unusually tall, so it can be a bit difficult to find nice clothes that also happen to fit well. If I learned how to make them myself, then I could make them to fit our measurements perfectly and also design them just the way I want, which seems nice. But I'm not really sure how to start learning or what kind of tools I might need. Since jrvan said you know a lot about sewing, I was wondering if maybe you have some tips? I'll try looking it up online too but I figured I might as well ask you too.

As promised, a thread for clothe making.

I’ll write as much as I can here without making this too long. It’s my belief that “we are what we wear”, and no body wants to walk around with ill fitting clothes that make them feel and look more like a slave than a healthy wonderful person.

The best projects to start with are the simplest ones. They will help you get use to how different fabrics behave, sewing methods and little tips and tricks, and also keep your motivation up since they’ll be finished in a shorter amount of time than something complex.

Most of my knowledge stems from older clothe making, so this will be based on that but the steps can easily apply to modern clothe making. It’s mostly the same, just the patterns, styles, and methods are a little different.

Standard materials:
- Drafting paper (for patterns)
- Grey lead pencils, eraser
- Rulers (some are specific for pattern drafting)
- Calculator (for pattern drafting and measurements)
- Muslin/calico
- Fabric/s of choice
- Needle and thread (there are different sized needles meant for different purposes. I’d recommend a needle that’s shorter in length so it’s easier to manoeuvre with if you’re hand sewing, and not too thick in diameter if your fabric is something like cotton, linen or silk. For wool you’ll probably want a different needle since it’s thicker).
- Fabric scissors
- Normal paper scissors (do not use fabric scissors to cut paper and vice versa. Fabric scissors need to stay sharp to properly cut the fabric)
- Seam ripper tool (or some small pointed fabric scissors)
- Tailors chalk
- Lots and lots of pins (the more the better) and pin cushion
- Tailors tape measure
- A pattern to work with

Anything else you need will be dependent on what clothes you’re making, and the methods you use.


So when it comes to making your own clothes there’s a few things to consider:

1) What kind of clothes you’re wanting to make (this one will determine a lot of the steps and fabrics you choose)

2) How much you’re willing to spend.

Fabric can be and is at times expensive. Fabric is sold by the yard, which can be tricky to determine the amount of fabric you need. If you’re not sure, buy more than what you think you need just in case. Any left over fabric can be used for other projects.

3) Materials and the fabrics you want your clothes to be made of.

4) Hand sewing vs machine sewing

Machine sewing will of course require buying a sewing machine if you don’t already have one.

———

The typical steps go something like this:

1) Decide what you’re wanting to make. Shirt, skirt, pants, dress, coat, cloak/cape, underwear, hat, etc.

Let's use the example of a shirt here.

2) Decide on your end product fabrics.

If it’s an undershirt go with something breathable and will help keep your skin clean (like linen or cotton). With an over shirt you can get a little fancier with things like silk/satin and wool as long as there’s an undershirt worn with it since, especially fabrics like silk, are harder to wash. Any clothes you want to wear that makes direct contact with your skin should be easy to wash, durable, breathable, and light weight.

Some materials e.g. cotton, like to stretch and so you need to pre-wash the whole thing (however many yards of fabric you have) if it isn’t already.

In the modern age we are very use to having basic underwear, a shirt and jacket, and whatever you’re wearing for bottoms (pants, shorts, skirts, dress, etc). Back before most of the later 1900’s, people wore much better layers to their clothes. You had the undergarments which covered all the way from the shoulders to the legs. This was so that the outer garments would be kept cleaner through the lack of direct contact with the skin. The outer garments were usually made from much more expensive and/or delicate fabrics, so being able to wash them regularly wasn’t an option.

You’ve got people wearing polyester against their skin these days, which is just not breathable. So avoid those kind of fabrics for such clothes. Polyester does have a use for outer garments in the winter, but I would stay away from it for summer clothes.

(Kinda makes me a little mad on the inside that linen is never used anymore for basic clothing worn against the skin unless you want to pay between $50-100+ for it but *sighs* ... anyway).

3) Make a drawing of how you want the end product to look.

Make a design essentially of a figure wearing your chosen item of clothing. It can be a simple sketch or really detailed. This is just to help wrap your head around what you’re aiming for.

4) Find a pattern that you can work with and is to your liking for what you want your item of clothing to look like in the end.

There’s a lot out there, and each one should give instructions on how to properly draft the pattern. If you choose to work from a pattern book, I’d suggest reading through the whole book first because some are written in a way that has you start with a basic pattern and you work through the chapters to turn that basic pattern into say, a coat or something. So just take your time. Sometimes you can buy a pre-drafted pattern where you just adjust it to your size then do a mock up. The following is if you have to draft the pattern yourself from a set of pattern instructions.

Measure the parts of your body that you need for the pattern you’ve chosen with a tailors tape measure (it’s just one of those floppy tape measures) and record the measurements down. Start drafting your pattern.

Take however long to draft the pattern and relax with it. This is your foundation for the whole clothing item. It can be tedious and mind numbing trying to draft a pattern, but it’s worth spending the time on. Trust me. Badly drafted pattern = funky things happen.

(Butcher’s paper is good stuff for drafting a pattern on. Use rulers, a “french curve” to help draw any curves, and grey lead pencil. You can use a marker to label your pattern pieces (always label pattern pieces so you know what’s what)).

[Now, I’ve seen people make clothes for themselves by just wrapping their body or a part of their body in plastic wrap then masking tape, and using a sharpie to draw out a pattern of what they want to make. Then they just cut it off their body and - ta-da! - they have a pattern.

Apparently that can work too and it skips a lot of the mind numbing side of drafting. Never tried it myself but it’s a thing *shrugs*. I wouldn’t recommend it for something more complex than a shirt as this seems a bit more limiting as to what you can do with it.

Then from there they just go straight into making the clothes. It’s an interesting way of doing things, but it takes more knowledge about sewing because you don’t have instructions to work off.]

5) Make a “mock up”.

This is where you play around a little bit to test if your pattern works and fits you correctly. Cut out your pattern and use a very cheap plain coloured fabric for this part. If you’ve ever heard of muslin (or calico I think is another name for it), that’s the fabric you’ll want for this step. It’s basically throw away material used for testing patterns.

Iron the fabric flat, then lay your patterns pieces on the fabric and use pins to hold the pattern pieces in place on the fabric. Trace the pattern onto the fabric with tailors chalk or a pen that won’t bleed through the fabric and smudge. Remove pattern pieces and keep them somewhere safe.

Be mindful of the “grain” of the fabric, the direction the weave of the fabric goes. It’s hard to explain but when you try to cut fabric pieces on the bias it’ll cause it to stretch funny. Sometimes this is a good thing depending on what you’re making but this is where research about how different fabrics behave and what happens when pattern pieces are cut in certain ways comes into play. The more you know about the fabric itself the better you’ll be able to work with it. Learn how it drapes, how much stretch it has, the thickness or stiffness, etc.

6) Sew up your mock up pieces with a very basic stitch.

Doesn’t need to be tight and secure just something simple to hold it together so that you can easily pick the stitching apart later. If you have a dress manikin that’s soft (not made of plastic) and you can put pins into that’ll really help for things like dresses and stuff.

7) Test fit.

Try on your mock up to see how it fits you, use a full length mirror, move around, lift your arms above your head etc etc. If somethings tight or uncomfortable, then it’s back to the drawing board to make those adjustments.

Once you have a mock up that fits you and you’re happy with how it fits, pick apart the stitching (you can use an actual seam ripping tool, or some small fabric scissors with pointed tips). This is one of those steps where you just need to take your time, and not get frustrated (when things don’t turn out quite as planned) and settle for “it kinda fits”. Because if it only “kinda fits” here then it’s not going to magically fit any better when you use the real fabrics. Do as many mock ups as you need, make sure it fits and it's comfortable, then proceed.

8) Cut out and piece together the final garment, then try it on.

Lay out the fabrics you’re using for your end product and basically repeat step 3 but this time with the mock up patterns that fit you, and you want your stitching to be strong. Follow your pattern instructions to cut out and piece the different pieces of fabric together correctly with the right stitching method.

This is where hand sewing vs machine sewing comes in. Hand sewing will be more precise and you have better control over what’s going on with the needle, thread, and fabric. You can also better control how strong your stitching is and what method of stitching you use. Down side: it takes longer and is very tedious, and well... getting pricked by your own needle every now and then is not fun.

As for machine stitching, personally I hate machine stitching (but that’s just me) and I’m not too familiar with the pros and cons. It’s faster, like a LOT faster, than hand sewing. As long as you know how to set up one you’re good to go to sew your pattern pieces together. You have to be a bit more careful to make sure you sew where you want to sew, and keep your stitching straight. Last I remember sewing machines do have different types of stitching options but I’m not familiar with them. Take your time, don’t rush it.

I don’t know if you can do it with a machine but if you go with hand sewing you can use beeswax to wax your thread. This will make the thread stronger and protect it from wear and breakage, especially for everyday clothes like shirts. This is something they use to do way-back-when for undergarments.

Another thing about hand sewing, if you choose that option get yourself a thimble of the right size for one of your fingers to protect it when you push the needle through the fabric. It’s a life saver. Find a size that doesn’t just fall off your finger when you dangle your fingers downward, it should stay in place without hurting you.

A little trick I learned. You can determine a well made garment from a poorly made garment by just looking at the stitching alone. Where the seams are placed is also a good indicator.

The average Target shirt will have a wide arms eye (the area your arm slips through where the sleeve attaches to the body of the shirt), the shoulder seam won’t even be on the shoulder, and the stitching is your classic china machine stitching where if you break one section of the thread the whole thing unravels.

For a well fitting shirt, this will sound counterintuitive to what we are commonly use to but you want that arms eye to be sitting right underneath the arm pit. This will maximise the movement of the arm when wearing the shirt since there is less gaping fabric sitting between the sleeve and the body of the shirt. Make sure the shoulder seam sits right on the shoulder because again better movement of the arm and overall better look to the clothes when you wear it. The stitching should be strong and close together (even with using a machine). If you’re hand sewing I’d recommend a back stitch method for any garments that need to be washed regularly, and as you work don’t use a ridiculously long line of thread (about a wing span length - finger tip to finger tip - is what I can handle) and just tie off and re-string your needle when needed. This will ensure that if the thread breaks the whole thing doesn’t unravel.

———

A huge part of making nice fitting clothes is in the pattern itself. Nowadays most people just work off a basic shape and don’t really understand how to make an item of clothing look flattering on a body. The way the different pieces of fabric is cut and sewn together will determine how it sits on the body without anything else being done to “shape it” so to speak.

If you compare dresses and coats from like 1800-1900’s and modern everyday Target wear from China, the shape of the clothes follows the shape of the body often fitting like a glove rather than being baggy. This is all to do with the pattern of the clothes and supporting undergarments.

Now, even without supporting undergarments you can still make a nice flattering shape for the clothes you make by having a good pattern to work with in the first place.


Some links from one of my favourite sewing channels and a couple others for sewing that helped me a lot with hand sewing and understanding patterns etc:

Hand sewing methods:
https://youtu.be/B5tC06IXOKc

Sewing seams:
https://youtu.be/39C_oYPgTpY

Modern walking skirt:
https://youtu.be/rnlzX2A4PGg

1895 wool walking skirt:
https://youtu.be/za40PYeJU6c

Basic mens shirt - “pirate style” - but shows how even a basic pattern can still look good. Sometimes things don’t need to be complicated. For a first project, I’d start with something like this:
https://youtu.be/Ql9r8UKIvZs

Inverness coat (can be made for both men and women). This video shows a good example of what I was talking about with patterns in the last couple paragraphs:
https://youtu.be/5lEWuWAh_3I

Tailoring tips for already made clothes that don’t quite fit:
https://youtu.be/wTdzaNJjX4M
https://youtu.be/yDPg2H0pTl4
https://youtu.be/8VKpPZ4Berk

A video for sewing motivation when things get a bit hard:
https://youtu.be/ekO9RmabdH0

Here’s where I saw that plastic wrap/masking tape technique thing. The girl also uses some of her own current clothes to get the shape she wants for the costume she’s making, which is another way to make a pattern without all the crazy math of pattern drafting:
https://youtu.be/0vP6IEdisbE
https://youtu.be/7il-XnJx2nE

These are methods I know but people do different things and that works for them. So play around and let yourself experiment to see what works best for you.

When I first started sewing I was just a kid wanting to make my own toys. Then my sewing knowledge grew through high school as I made larger projects in my fabrics class, and then learning more online from sources like the ones above.

The steps applied to making plushie toys are almost the same as making clothes just different end product. So another way to get familiar with patterns is making a simple plushie for yourself or someone you know who would like that, and then apply that to larger scale projects like clothes. It’s really fun imo, and a great way to get familiar with sewing techniques before hitting the larger projects.

 

[Jack]

Making Women Great again,one at a time. Hurrah!!!

 

[tabby]

...

Thank you so much! You went into so much detail; your husband really wasn't kidding when he said you know a lot about it.

I'll take my time to watch the videos you recommended and read up on patterns. I'll start off trying to make simple designs from cheap fabrics and sewing it by hand, so I can get some experience before I invest into more expensive fabrics and a sewing machine.

I really appreciate all your advice. It probably would've been difficult to find this much useful information on my own.
Onwards to a well-dressed future, then!

You’re very welcome, Meteor. Glad I could help

Best of luck!

 

[High Priest Zevios Metathronos]

Excellent post, keep them coming. Thanks.

 

[Bluecollarbutch666]

YAY making cloths and blankies!!

I still have and wear the cat print pajamas my mom made for me eons ago...its a memento of her
:lol: :lol: :lol:

I have tried to make my own blankets sowing by hand because i was failing hard at the sowing machine not the best idea

 

[tabby]

Excellent post, keep them coming. Thanks.

Good job

Thank you!

YAY making cloths and blankies!!

I still have and wear the cat print pajamas my mom made for me eons ago...its a memento of her
:lol: :lol: :lol:

I have tried to make my own blankets sowing by hand because i was failing hard at the sowing machine not the best idea

haha reminds me of a wool scarf I made with my nan when she was trying to teach me knitting for the first time.

That’s awesome. If you can get into a rhythm with hand sewing it’s almost like going into a trance state like you do with meditation. I find reaching that state helps when things are taking their sweet time to be stitched up haha.

 

[Sunny]

YAY making cloths and blankies!!

I still have and wear the cat print pajamas my mom made for me eons ago...its a memento of her
:lol: :lol: :lol:

I have tried to make my own blankets sowing by hand because i was failing hard at the sowing machine not the best idea

I am sure that with your creativity you can make beautiful clothes. But learn to use machines, hand sewing is terribly slow.

 

[Bluecollarbutch666]

YAY making cloths and blankies!!

I still have and wear the cat print pajamas my mom made for me eons ago...its a memento of her
:lol: :lol: :lol:

I have tried to make my own blankets sowing by hand because i was failing hard at the sowing machine not the best idea

I am sure that with your creativity you can make beautiful clothes. But learn to use machines, hand sewing is terribly slow.

Thanks
True, it is terribly slow, and it hurts my hands after awhile :x

 

[Bluecollarbutch666]

Excellent post, keep them coming. Thanks.

Good job

Thank you!

YAY making cloths and blankies!!

I still have and wear the cat print pajamas my mom made for me eons ago...its a memento of her
:lol: :lol: :lol:

I have tried to make my own blankets sowing by hand because i was failing hard at the sowing machine not the best idea

haha reminds me of a wool scarf I made with my nan when she was trying to teach me knitting for the first time.

That’s awesome. If you can get into a rhythm with hand sewing it’s almost like going into a trance state like you do with meditation. I find reaching that state helps when things are taking their sweet time to be stitched up haha.

I mean i'm ok with it...but the blanket did come apart xD. i have to fix it. I think i'd much rather use the sowing machine tho

 

[tabby]

I mean i'm ok with it...but the blanket did come apart xD. i have to fix it. I think i'd much rather use the sowing machine tho

I see. Whatever works best for you

If I could properly use and get my hands on a good sewing machine I would use it for most of a projects sewing than going by hand just for the fact that it’s faster haha. But if you can learn both you can work with the benefits of both and won’t be limited to one or the other.

I mean, not everyone has the dexterity or time needed to work with a needle, and not everyone can afford a sewing machine.

 

[Lunar Dance 666]

...

I didn't know this post excisted.

Thank you for the lenghtly summary of things. I've watched a lot of videos on sewing and I've been watching a lot of sewist sewing clothes of like the victorian era.

Clothes just fit so ill on me. Even clothes that fit properly at my shoulders (I like to have a full range of motion with my arms too tyvm) make me look like I have no chest or waist at all. Its really terrible :/ .

Some are really complaining about the 'no pockets' situation in many clothes and to be fair.. phones grow bigger too (or are made bigger) and they don't fit into pockets anymore.

And yes clothes are cheaply made in china, and some look fine but often they're too short (or fit ill for native dutch people -too small- or many ppl in general) or somehow sewn together uneven like how the heck did you even get it that not sewn straight? o.o (hint: Has to do with the grain of the fabric apparently).

One of the youtubers I watched recently spoke about a pattern drafting book. She's making the peacock dress. And she posts an update on progress monthly now. I thought you might be interested in it. It's in the video from either June or May (but I think June).

 

[Lunar Dance 666]

I mean i'm ok with it...but the blanket did come apart xD. i have to fix it. I think i'd much rather use the sowing machine tho

I see. Whatever works best for you

If I could properly use and get my hands on a good sewing machine I would use it for most of a projects sewing than going by hand just for the fact that it’s faster haha. But if you can learn both you can work with the benefits of both and won’t be limited to one or the other.

I mean, not everyone has the dexterity or time needed to work with a needle, and not everyone can afford a sewing machine.

Hey Tabby, Singer is a good brand for a sewing machine. Once I saw one in the local drugstore for 90 euro. New. They sometimes sell electric applyances for cheap. Otherwise try to look at the second hand store perhaps?
I know there are really fancy machines out there but you can do a lot with just a basic one.

 

[Bluecollarbutch666]

Making Women Great again,one at a time. Hurrah!!!

I can not only sow fabric but also metal with fire

 

[Jack]

Making Women Great again,one at a time. Hurrah!!!

I can not only sow fabric but also metal with fire

That's a very handy skill during the Apocalypse.

 

[Bluecollarbutch666]

Making Women Great again,one at a time. Hurrah!!!

I can not only sow fabric but also metal with fire

That's a very handy skill during the Apocalypse.

Indeed it is. I always tell people the ones who work with their hands will be the ones who thrive and help rebuild society If everything goes to shit..people who sit behind comps and desks won't know their asses from a hold in the ground

I laugh at the decadent tards who look down on or who think they are too good for blue collar work.

 

[Desdemona_666]

This is actually very, very helpful. Thank you so much for this.

Hail Satan!

 

[Lunar Dance 666]

...

Indeed it is. I always tell people the ones who work with their hands will be the ones who thrive and help rebuild society If everything goes to shit..people who sit behind comps and desks won't know their asses from a hold in the ground

I laugh at the decadent tards who look down on or who think they are too good for blue collar work.

Don't talk back to the person that thinks he can tell his wife what to do and order her around. The person who takes personal achievement, and working out as a woman as 'feminism'. Or even just having a job in a male dominated field. Like even politics or warfare, technical jobs.

When something is done by a woman usually, it doesn't have to mean its a woman 'only' business. Heck they even tried to get rid of our way of making money and being able to be independent, which was often in the sewing industry.

There's not much of a sewing industry anymore nowadays though. At least not within the country.

 

[Reyra]

Maybe it's off-topic, which I am sorry, but nobody makes me feel worse as a woman in this forum than him, I swear. I try to avoid him here, since he makes me feel bad and there is a lot of helpful information here too, but it is hard to do. I feel like he is really questioning my worth and my worth is something I have had a problem with for a very long time. I don't know, maybe it's just me, but his comments can be discouraged to be here. (It doesn't mean, that I will leave this forum just because he annoys me, but I am thinking about new womens wanting to join here.)


As for the post, excellent job. I have never tried to sew clothes (well, except for my old porcelain doll), only mascots for friends, my little sister and brother, but it would be nice to try something new. I don't have sewing machine, always using hand sewing. Maybe I should afford it, cause it would be faster this way. My sister wants to learn sewing too, so thanks for the tips.

 

[tabby]

I can not only sow fabric but also metal with fire

That's a very handy skill during the Apocalypse.

Indeed it is. I always tell people the ones who work with their hands will be the ones who thrive and help rebuild society If everything goes to shit..people who sit behind comps and desks won't know their asses from a hold in the ground

I laugh at the decadent tards who look down on or who think they are too good for blue collar work.

You can do metal working?! That’s so cool!

I love blue collar work.

 

[tabby]

I got one from Toyota right now. Do not recommend. I cannot adjust the stich length in between stitches. Whilst it does come with some 'decorative' options, because of the above thing, there's just too much space in between the points making them look rather ugly if you ask me. I don't use them.
I can sew with a bit of a 'wider' stitch and a bit of a 'smaller' stitch but thats all just preset. Once this thing breaks down Im going to get a Singer again. I had a kinda old, quite heavy industrial one, but that one was worn down a bit too much. Also the electric pedal was having issues with the connections, you'd easily press too far on it and it'd go too fast.
Also an issue that I have with my current one so I either turn the thing around so I can dose better or move de heel of my foot up a bit more. It stars on an angle, and just like a leverage beam, the further out you go, the bigger the impact. Yet you're pressing on the smallest part.

And ye I was surprised by how BIG those pockets were. Well didn't working people have outer clothes with a lot of pockets? Or a belt with multiple pockets etc on it (Im talking menswear here).

Also, may I ask for how long you've been sewing? If you already answered, I've probably skipped a bit or forgot it.

Yikes, I’ll keep that noted then. Does the Singer models allow for smaller stitches that are close together? If the stitches themselves are smaller and tight together, then that’ll make for a much stronger stitch. Much neater too if you had good control with keeping stitching straight.

It makes me wonder what brand the sewing machines were that we used back in school. They were quite big and bulky but we were able to do a lot of different sewing projects on them without too many issues. The speed control was terrible, you had to be pretty gentle on the peddle to keep your stitching from being really wonky. The thread also broke constantly if you went just a bit too fast.

IKR? You could fit a book into those things.
I believe so yes. Sometimes people would attach hip pouches or small bags (kinda like a precursor to the fanny packs) to their belts. I think these were usually made of leather rather than fabric, though I could be wrong. I don’t know all that much about the pockets situation of history, just started learning about it myself :lol:

Man, I’ve been sewing for as long as I can remember haha. I was just a kid at the time when I started and now I’m in my adult years so yeah, it’s been a long time.

 

[Bluecollarbutch666]

This is actually very, very helpful. Thank you so much for this.

Hail Satan!

I hope everything is ok Larissa
You told us sometime back you were having a bad time

 

[tabby]

This is actually very, very helpful. Thank you so much for this.

Hail Satan!

I’m glad. You’re welcome

 

[Lunar Dance 666]

I got one from Toyota right now. Do not recommend. I cannot adjust the stich length in between stitches. Whilst it does come with some 'decorative' options, because of the above thing, there's just too much space in between the points making them look rather ugly if you ask me. I don't use them.
I can sew with a bit of a 'wider' stitch and a bit of a 'smaller' stitch but thats all just preset. Once this thing breaks down Im going to get a Singer again. I had a kinda old, quite heavy industrial one, but that one was worn down a bit too much. Also the electric pedal was having issues with the connections, you'd easily press too far on it and it'd go too fast.
Also an issue that I have with my current one so I either turn the thing around so I can dose better or move de heel of my foot up a bit more. It stars on an angle, and just like a leverage beam, the further out you go, the bigger the impact. Yet you're pressing on the smallest part.

And ye I was surprised by how BIG those pockets were. Well didn't working people have outer clothes with a lot of pockets? Or a belt with multiple pockets etc on it (Im talking menswear here).

Also, may I ask for how long you've been sewing? If you already answered, I've probably skipped a bit or forgot it.

Yikes, I’ll keep that noted then. Does the Singer models allow for smaller stitches that are close together? If the stitches themselves are smaller and tight together, then that’ll make for a much stronger stitch. Much neater too if you had good control with keeping stitching straight.

It makes me wonder what brand the sewing machines were that we used back in school. They were quite big and bulky but we were able to do a lot of different sewing projects on them without too many issues. The speed control was terrible, you had to be pretty gentle on the peddle to keep your stitching from being really wonky. The thread also broke constantly if you went just a bit too fast.

IKR? You could fit a book into those things.
I believe so yes. Sometimes people would attach hip pouches or small bags (kinda like a precursor to the fanny packs) to their belts. I think these were usually made of leather rather than fabric, though I could be wrong. I don’t know all that much about the pockets situation of history, just started learning about it myself :lol:

Man, I’ve been sewing for as long as I can remember haha. I was just a kid at the time when I started and now I’m in my adult years so yeah, it’s been a long time.

https://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NjAwWDgwMA==/z/2jwAAOSwG7JfHF7P/$_86.PNG
This is the model that I used to have. I figured it'd be easier to show you and tell you whats what, than to explain it.
Here's a link for a user manual for its previous model:
http://sewingonline.co.uk/machines/singer257/

I bet you can find one for the model 258 online, but back when I had it, I could not.

Basicly, on the top left, above the needle, is a wheel that you use to adjust the pressure of the foot on your fabric.
(In my toyota thats an 'automatic' thing or in other words: Only one setting)
Then on the top right you have the place where your thread goes, and also right next to it the place where you can let the machine wind the thread on the spool for the underneath part.
I forgot exactly where the light switch was (is also the power button) its either on the right bottom next to the pug with the pedal attached to it, or on the back.
Then on the blue part, in which it Says Singer, from left to right:
Adjust stich width, Adjust where the needle goes, I think the last one might be the option for patchworking. or making embroidery. I've never used it tbh.
Then you have the small turning knob on the left. This is for adjusting the top pressure on the thread. If your thread breaks or snaps, you need to lessen the tension. Also do a presew on the fabric that you want to sew together. If the thread lays almost like a straight line on top, you need to lessen the tension, if the thread lays like a straight line on the bottom or has loops (which has happened a couple times to me, I've also ended up with knots a couple of times) you might need to adjust the tension on top and rewire the bottom.
Then on the big knob on the right is how to adjust the stitch length. (This is also non adjustable on Toyota, pretty much, it has a couple preset settings and you can't do anything else with it :/)

The handle to pull the foot up and down is at the back of the needle. You can't see it in this picture.

There's also an option up top, to put a pattern disk in. Then the machine would adjust the needle according to the pattern disk you put in, and you'd be able to sew said pattern.
I don't think I can show you an example of that though. :/ sorry.

But like I said, once this toyota is worn out (or perhaps I might sell it as a second hand) I'll go back to a Singer.


I've never really sown as a child, but I made cards with decorative stitching on them when I was very little. And as a teen I made one of my dolls a couple of new clothes out of felt. It was really tight on the doll, lol.

But it sparks the idea to be able to create what you like or what you'd like to wear, even if its just as a costume.
I wasn't even thinking of day-to-day wear when I started lol. This came later. Also because I didn't want to spend months in completing one thing >_< ..

 

[Jack]

Maybe it's off-topic, which I am sorry, but nobody makes me feel worse as a woman in this forum than him, I swear. I try to avoid him here, since he makes me feel bad and there is a lot of helpful information here too, but it is hard to do. I feel like he is really questioning my worth and my worth is something I have had a problem with for a very long time. I don't know, maybe it's just me, but his comments can be discouraged to be here. (It doesn't mean, that I will leave this forum just because he annoys me, but I am thinking about new womens wanting to join here.)


As for the post, excellent job. I have never tried to sew clothes (well, except for my old porcelain doll), only mascots for friends, my little sister and brother, but it would be nice to try something new. I don't have sewing machine, always using hand sewing. Maybe I should afford it, cause it would be faster this way. My sister wants to learn sewing too, so thanks for the tips.

If my overall message is making you feel bad and making you question your self worth as a woman ,then it is probable that you are infact of low self worth and everything I say is just confirmation. Its not me making you feel bad, its you yourself because you know what I'm saying is true but you don't want to accept it and in order to shift blame ,you're changing guilt into hatred unconsciously.

If you accepted it and let go of your feelings, then all your judgments about your self worth would go away. Because now you've accepted your faults ,and only after you've accepted that you were wrong can you change and heal yourself. Otherwise the perpetual suffering from lack of psychological strength will persist indefinitely.

 

[Bluecollarbutch666]

That's a very handy skill during the Apocalypse.

Indeed it is. I always tell people the ones who work with their hands will be the ones who thrive and help rebuild society If everything goes to shit..people who sit behind comps and desks won't know their asses from a hold in the ground

I laugh at the decadent tards who look down on or who think they are too good for blue collar work.

You can do metal working?! That’s so cool!

I love blue collar work.

It started with clubhouses when i was a kid. I was always dragging wood back and forth and collecting it from the junk sections of construction sites nearby. My mom made us ask if we could take it first lol. I had one other girl help me but she didnt care for it much and eventually stopped hanging out with me, but i got the neighborhood kids to help out who we were all friends with. i actually wanted to make a whole fucking ewok village in the backyard and my parents wouldnt have it :lol:. Well, at 18 wood turned into metal and the National Guard sent me to APG for AIT and i learned to be a machinist.

Lol i remember being in the recuruiters office when i enlisted and he asked me "what do you want your MOS to be?" then i said "i wanna make weapons" sigh my naive self

so machinist was the closest thing to that. thats how i got in the metal industry. later on i started welding :3. they make pretty good money as long as they do the job right and are good. fabshop sucks, fieldwork and refineries is where its at. always something different.

 

[Aquarius]

...

Jack, I believe Lunar Dance was speaking of independence in the sense that sewing (and other skills for that matter) allowed women to make a living through hard work which allows them to have their own money and financial power. The alternative is that they are dependent upon either society (their friends and/or the state) or a man for their very survival, and not every woman has the ability to find a man so easily. Having the option of making your own money to keep yourself alive is very important, and that is the definition of independence - not relying on someone else for your survival and needs. Women would be forced into the child state of being dependent on others to take care of them if they couldn't make their own money, and if they can't find a caretaker for whatever reason then they will die (unless they achieve independence and secure their survival).

I don't think she was speaking about women's independence in the radical feminist sense where they are encouraged to never have kids, never settle down and start families, and just focus on career career career. That doesn't sound even close to what Lunar Dance was saying.

Women making money also allows them to contribute to their family and household. Especially when the kids are old enough to self manage.

It's like I often say to Tabby: a woman shouldn't NEED a man, she should want him.

Additionally, working part-time can mean your partner doesn't have to work as much either, and that way you get to spend more time with him, while he also gets to help more with raising your children. Not to mention how enjoyable it is for anyone, man or woman, to develop their talents, and even go as far as to turn them into a career. It'd be cruel to deprive women of that freedom for personal growth and creative expression, forcing them to focus only on the growth of their children and never themselves.

In my opinion, unless there is financial tension, one should either be a mother, or a worker, not both.

 

[tabby]

I got one from Toyota right now. Do not recommend. I cannot adjust the stich length in between stitches. Whilst it does come with some 'decorative' options, because of the above thing, there's just too much space in between the points making them look rather ugly if you ask me. I don't use them.
I can sew with a bit of a 'wider' stitch and a bit of a 'smaller' stitch but thats all just preset. Once this thing breaks down Im going to get a Singer again. I had a kinda old, quite heavy industrial one, but that one was worn down a bit too much. Also the electric pedal was having issues with the connections, you'd easily press too far on it and it'd go too fast.
Also an issue that I have with my current one so I either turn the thing around so I can dose better or move de heel of my foot up a bit more. It stars on an angle, and just like a leverage beam, the further out you go, the bigger the impact. Yet you're pressing on the smallest part.

And ye I was surprised by how BIG those pockets were. Well didn't working people have outer clothes with a lot of pockets? Or a belt with multiple pockets etc on it (Im talking menswear here).

Also, may I ask for how long you've been sewing? If you already answered, I've probably skipped a bit or forgot it.

Yikes, I’ll keep that noted then. Does the Singer models allow for smaller stitches that are close together? If the stitches themselves are smaller and tight together, then that’ll make for a much stronger stitch. Much neater too if you had good control with keeping stitching straight.

It makes me wonder what brand the sewing machines were that we used back in school. They were quite big and bulky but we were able to do a lot of different sewing projects on them without too many issues. The speed control was terrible, you had to be pretty gentle on the peddle to keep your stitching from being really wonky. The thread also broke constantly if you went just a bit too fast.

IKR? You could fit a book into those things.
I believe so yes. Sometimes people would attach hip pouches or small bags (kinda like a precursor to the fanny packs) to their belts. I think these were usually made of leather rather than fabric, though I could be wrong. I don’t know all that much about the pockets situation of history, just started learning about it myself :lol:

Man, I’ve been sewing for as long as I can remember haha. I was just a kid at the time when I started and now I’m in my adult years so yeah, it’s been a long time.

https://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NjAwWDgwMA==/z/2jwAAOSwG7JfHF7P/$_86.PNG
This is the model that I used to have. I figured it'd be easier to show you and tell you whats what, than to explain it.
Here's a link for a user manual for its previous model:
http://sewingonline.co.uk/machines/singer257/

I bet you can find one for the model 258 online, but back when I had it, I could not.

Basicly, on the top left, above the needle, is a wheel that you use to adjust the pressure of the foot on your fabric.
(In my toyota thats an 'automatic' thing or in other words: Only one setting)
Then on the top right you have the place where your thread goes, and also right next to it the place where you can let the machine wind the thread on the spool for the underneath part.
I forgot exactly where the light switch was (is also the power button) its either on the right bottom next to the pug with the pedal attached to it, or on the back.
Then on the blue part, in which it Says Singer, from left to right:
Adjust stich width, Adjust where the needle goes, I think the last one might be the option for patchworking. or making embroidery. I've never used it tbh.
Then you have the small turning knob on the left. This is for adjusting the top pressure on the thread. If your thread breaks or snaps, you need to lessen the tension. Also do a presew on the fabric that you want to sew together. If the thread lays almost like a straight line on top, you need to lessen the tension, if the thread lays like a straight line on the bottom or has loops (which has happened a couple times to me, I've also ended up with knots a couple of times) you might need to adjust the tension on top and rewire the bottom.
Then on the big knob on the right is how to adjust the stitch length. (This is also non adjustable on Toyota, pretty much, it has a couple preset settings and you can't do anything else with it :/)

The handle to pull the foot up and down is at the back of the needle. You can't see it in this picture.

There's also an option up top, to put a pattern disk in. Then the machine would adjust the needle according to the pattern disk you put in, and you'd be able to sew said pattern.
I don't think I can show you an example of that though. :/ sorry.

But like I said, once this toyota is worn out (or perhaps I might sell it as a second hand) I'll go back to a Singer.


I've never really sown as a child, but I made cards with decorative stitching on them when I was very little. And as a teen I made one of my dolls a couple of new clothes out of felt. It was really tight on the doll, lol.

But it sparks the idea to be able to create what you like or what you'd like to wear, even if its just as a costume.
I wasn't even thinking of day-to-day wear when I started lol. This came later. Also because I didn't want to spend months in completing one thing >_< ..

Who knew trying to buy a good sewing machine could actually be kinda complicated. Not having much luck in finding the model that isn't second hand used. Mind you, it's an older model so that makes sense but I don't trust already used things being sold online. I think I'll look for something a bit newer but with the bells and whistles you talk about like being able to adjust the stitch width and tension. I had no idea that was something important and helpful. The more you know

Thank you for that advice! I never knew how to adjust the thread tension back in school. Maybe that's why the thread kept breaking.

haha that's one of the reasons I love sewing. The ideas you can come up with for anything really, not just clothes, is endless.

 

[tabby]

Indeed it is. I always tell people the ones who work with their hands will be the ones who thrive and help rebuild society If everything goes to shit..people who sit behind comps and desks won't know their asses from a hold in the ground

I laugh at the decadent tards who look down on or who think they are too good for blue collar work.

You can do metal working?! That’s so cool!

I love blue collar work.

It started with clubhouses when i was a kid. I was always dragging wood back and forth and collecting it from the junk sections of construction sites nearby. My mom made us ask if we could take it first lol. I had one other girl help me but she didnt care for it much and eventually stopped hanging out with me, but i got the neighborhood kids to help out who we were all friends with. i actually wanted to make a whole fucking ewok village in the backyard and my parents wouldnt have it :lol:. Well, at 18 wood turned into metal and the National Guard sent me to APG for AIT and i learned to be a machinist.

Lol i remember being in the recuruiters office when i enlisted and he asked me "what do you want your MOS to be?" then i said "i wanna make weapons" sigh my naive self

so machinist was the closest thing to that. thats how i got in the metal industry. later on i started welding :3. they make pretty good money as long as they do the job right and are good. fabshop sucks, fieldwork and refineries is where its at. always something different.

Dude, you're really freaking cool haha.

 

[Aquarius]

Lol.

:lol:

 

[Jack]

I just typed a long ass reply replying to everything that you guys said and lost it as I typed reply.

I'm going to just drop it because it's like beating a dead horse's skeleton after its been decomposed. I give you impassioned statistics and you start making morality arguments for a real time situation.

Eventually every single right Winger(who will inherit this world) will adopt my way of thinking and that's guaranteed as society starts to devolve more and more and revert back to our natural state of life. Hold me upon my word because its going to happen.